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Students Lobby for Training in Addiction Treatment

Medical students don’t usually get much training in the treatment of addiction, but that may change. With support from the Hanley Family Foundation, a group of medical students has organized to advocate for training in addiction treatment at their schools. Health Professional Students for Substance Abuse Training (HPSSAT) began with 10 students but has grown to include more than 100 students from diverse fields, as well as faculty.

Working through the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, the Hanley Family Foundation provided funds so students in the medical field—including nurses, a student in osteopathy, a physician’s assistant and traditional medical students—could create an advocacy group to lobby for training in addiction treatment at their schools. The result was HPSSAT, which is rapidly blossoming into a national organization.

"Universities aren’t required to train students in addiction treatment," says Kathryn Cates-Wessel, associate director of the Brown University Center. "We need to empower students to advocate for this. Student demand leads to curriculum changes."

The HPSSAT website (www.hpssat.org) offers comprehensive information for members and potential recruits, including a tool kit to help students advocate for curriculum changes. The original student organizers hold monthly conference calls and meet regularly. They’ve defined their mission, structure, and long- and short-term goals. Their membership has grown by word of mouth and low-cost publicity like posters and flyers.

HPSSAT’s success has attracted attention at the highest levels. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University invited HPSSAT organizers to present at their summit on medical education. The group also was invited to a workshop conducted by the Bush administration’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. Now ONDCP is planning a follow-up meeting with the Secretary of Health, the U.S. Surgeon General, and other national health policymakers—and a HPSSAT representative has been asked to be among the four guests.

"These students are doing a tremendous amount for very little money," exclaims Cates-Wessel. "They’re very enthusiastic and know what they want to accomplish. They’ve done all this with about $100,000 over two years."

The students have even pooled their support funding from Hanley to develop a small grants program within HPSSAT. New members are encouraged to submit grant proposals for their advocacy projects. Two grants have been awarded so far. Now HPSSAT’s goal is not only to increase its numbers further, but also to diversify and broaden their membership to include more students in health-related fields such as counseling, psychology and social work.